Chapter 1
Chapter 1: The village I am bound to, the village my heart is sworn to
POV(Point of view)——>KIYOSHI
The shine shone brightly, a faint jingle of furin carried on the wind and it was spring. At least that’s what humans called it, when flowers bloomed, when air carries subtle sweetness, crisp, cool lightness and that earthy scent. I pushed my tiny, yet heavy enough to make me breatheless while pushing the cart along the cobbled streets. It’s pink wheels weren’t so pink anymore - the paint was peeling of the wheels, and yet it wasn’t the only one problem. The wheels are slightly misaligned, squeaking slightly when the cart is pushed, a handwritten menu board hangs crookedly on the side. Despite everything, it still had a charm, and looking at it , it felt as if it literally PROMISED you, a nice, satisfying meal. The cart continued it’s way along the cobbled streets, accompanied to my ragged breathing and then- a sudden sound of hoves, a flash of little horns entangled in vines and then boom! A loud clatter, that person or rather creature, trips and bumps into the cart with a soft thump. The handwritten menu board falls down, and unfortunately hits that creature in head. That creature left out a startled little „Ow!” . Other than the handwritten menu, also about fifteen onigiri’s had fallen down. They weren’t in some sort of packages, so unfortunately they are now smashed on the cobbled street. I sighed and looked at that smashed onigiri’s or rather now what is left after them. Few of them were shio onigiri (simple salted) , but the rest of them were my favourite Sekihan ( sticky rice with red beans) and Yaki Onigiri (grilled with soy sauce). I let out a groan - sekihan and yaki were supposed to be a new product for sale, bonus that tasted so good that it’s a pity to see them just…ruined on the street. The red beans were smeared everywhere, even on those poor misaligned wheels. I looked at that creature, that provided that chaos, currently staring at me with her wide, shocked hazel eyes. Indeed, this wasn’t just any creature but a female satyress, with small horns tangled in vines, and they were all surrounded by a cascade of dirty blonde hair, shining like a jar of honey, shining gorgeously in the sun. The satyress looked young enough, definitely not over 700 years, but over 350 years definitely. Probably about 400 years, and for that age chubby enough. She averted her gaze, her cheeks turning into a shade of crimson and she picked up the fallen handwritten menu. Curiosity won and she started to read it. After a moment she snapped out of it and she quickly dusted off her dress and finally spoke : „I-I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry miss! „ . I let out a shaky sigh and involuntarily giggled. „No harm done, young one. Just….it’s a pity that those poor onigiri’s are smashed now on the floor”. She kept apologising for half and hour before I could do anything else…Afterwards she helped me clean the mess she made, apologised more and then she simply left. The mess was cleaned, yet still there was a faint trace of soy sauce and beans on the street. Only nine out of twenty four onigiri’s were left - the old, boring ones that I’ve been selling for three weeks, okaka onigiri, tuna with mayo and simple salted ones. Soon midday guests would arrive, and I wouldn’t want to disappoint my customers. Especially those regular customers - that young tanuki in purple apron always buying at least three onigiri’s and then politely asking if there’s a chance that umeboshi will be selled here maybe, nure-onna with spring green, long, curly hair, that always buyed only the simple salted one onigiri and always left a solid tip and a small group of nekomantas, that would often arrive more to chat than to get some food. They always buyed at least one onigiri for each one, and were very polite. Anyways, I don’t have time. And to add insult to injury, my dress smelled of soy sauce and was torn at the edges, and I had little time. I would need to go back to refill my supplies and get new onigiri, but that would take more or less an hour. The customers would be arriving in about half an hour. I could not be late, I could not. I started running downhill, to the end of the village. I still didn’t had chances, it was absolutely impossible to get in half and hour to location that is one hour from here. I was delusional, thinking I could make it. But I would feel guilty, if I didn’t try at least. First, that cute tanuki would arrive, in a purple apron with a little bounce in his walk. And then the nure-onna, and a group of nekomatas. And they would find my cart, abandoned without any other soul than them. I would never ever let this happen. They would be so much happier if I had been there. But then again, there was no chance I can be in time. I stopped running , knowing that no matter how much I will try to get there I won’t make it. My cheeks flush red, my lungs burn and it’s impossibly hard to breathe. And that’s when I heard that - characteristic, loud sounds of furin. But it doesn’t sound too good for me at all. It sounds as if hundreds of furin jingled on the wind, and the noise was getting louder, louder and louder as if the source of the noise was…approaching me. The smell of leather, smoke and plums hit me, and suddenly the high pitched jingles stopped. And then I saw the silhouette, as if emerging from the mist - broad muscular shoulders, two pointy fox ears, clawed gauntlets and a loose, open front robe dramatically wide with flowing sleeves. He stepped out, and I finally was able to see him fully. He looked….handsome, with white short hair , yellow eyes, his robe and clawed gauntlets were angora black, and around his waist was a belt with instruments and some simple weapons like kunai that were glinting mischievously. His pure white fox ears were twitching occasionally, and his fluffy wait tail swished calmly. His body was muscular, especially his arms, shoulders and back. He stepped closer to ME, accompanied by a clink of gauntlets and instruments around his waist. His hand rose slowly, brushing aside that damp cotton-pink strand of hair, stuck to my cheek. „Out of shape, huh? I thought the girl who shapes onigiri all day would have more stamina” .
Koto. That was Koto - handsome son of blacksmith, with those mischievous yellow eyes, never missing a chance to tease me, and often caught snacking on umeboshi onigiri’s. His mother made umeboshi onigiri for him when he was little, so these are very special to him. Yet you might also wonder, where do these fox ears and fox tail comes from? He’s a kitsune. The way he is now, is not his original form. Of course, mostly he is in human form, but his normal form is a pure white kitsune. And no, his father isn’t a kitsune. His mother was a kitsune, though her ears and tails weren’t as pure white as Koto has. They were milk white, with red tips. And her eyes? They were goldenrod yellow, while Koto’s eyes are more canary yellow. Koto’s father was a simple human, and because he was just a simple human being, he unfortunately didn’t last long. Yes, he was muscular, healthy, with chestnut brown short hair and a beard, gray eyes and a healthy son but humans are miserable. They sometimes don’t even live 100 years, while kitsune can leave even for thousands of years. Their aging process differs greatly from humans, slowing down due to advanced healing and spiritual connections. A kitsune gains a new tail roughly every 100 years, with nine tails marking the most ancient and powerful beings, often reaching a peak around 1,000 years. Koto is now 498 years old, and currently he has five tails, while his mother had 7-8 tails and she died at age 789 years. Koto was 5 years old then, so it equals to humans being only a few months old, but his mother didn’t die of „old age” - she died in a battle, protecting her family, yet the wounds she had, were so severe and deep that she was unable, even as a kitsune to heal them. But because of a curse she’s bound to the world of alive and she’s a ghost that takes care of the gardens. Unfortunately that means that she’s neither alive neither dead kind of, so she can never rest. She can feel the pain but if she gets a wound it’ll never heal. We call her Madre. I heard a muffled voice „Kiyo? KIYO”. I snapped out of it, Koto looking with a grumpy expression at me. „I sensed that your in problem, so hear I am my dear Kiyo~” he said, wrapping his tail around my thigh. I involuntarily shivered as his tail, warm, plush and impossibly silky wrapped tightly around my thigh. „R-really now..you’re always so forward” I said, my heart pounding a little to loudly in my ears. His yellow eyes glinted mischievously, like he knew exactly what is the current situation troubling me. I sighed, and spoke again - „And what makes you think I’m in trouble, and that I need yours….heroic rescue, hm?” . He leaned in closer, tilting my head that way, that I had no choice but to stare into his yellow eyes with that mischievous glint. His ears twitched forward, and his voices dropped to a low tone. „Oh, my dear Kiyo, you’re so naive and don’t even understand a sliver of how much I know about you. Anyways, enough chit-chat because I DO know what troubles you. You can’t arrive at time to the end of village, you’re clothes are dirty and you need to refill onigiri for your cart.” My eyes widened and I looked at him. Suddenly, a door creaked, there was a bang, and unmistakably a female human being, who looked like some kind of goddess stepped out. Her hair was long, silky and raven black curls spilled out from her large black samurai hat. Some of the curls were darker, and some of them were color of milk chocolate. The curls framed her heart shaped face, and they slightly bounced when she turned or moved. Her eyes were almond shaped, and her irises were the color of the midnight sky. Her heart shaped face is ethereal perfection - flawless coffee skin, lips full yet untouched by smile, and her body was perfectly strong yet curvy at the same time. Her outfit was slightly seductive, I’d say. A sheer, transparent black bodice, a angora black corset accompanied by a wide black belt with another white tassel for ornamentation, her arms were covered by voluminous puffy black sleeves, made of opaque ruffled fabric, and as for the bottom she wore knee length black leather skirt with fishnet stockings. When she spoke her voice was mellifluous, smooth and pleasant to the ear like honey flowing - „Koto! Stop troubling customers again! Especially this one, looks like she has enough trouble on her mind now”. Koto’s ears flattened and his tail stopped wrapping my thigh tightly. His tail was swishing now nervously, his tone was now softer than usual when he spoke - „I-I wasn’t trying to trouble anyone Nina. I simply thought they might need a little bit of entertainment and a little bit of help~”.
Nina let out a sigh and closed the distance between them. „Yes, yes. You always say that Koto”. She turned to me abruptly and then she said „If you really need some help, just say what you need. This problem isn’t that serious to take hours, so go on”. I told her as quickly as possible about the satyress, onigiri, my onigiri cart and what I need. She said she’ll be back in a moment, and that she will give me some spare clothes. She took Koto by his hand armored in clawed gauntlet and they vanished into the small house.
After a while they came back.
She handed over the bundle of fabric—clean, sturdy, and smelling faintly of dried herbs. "This should endure the road better than whatever the satyress left you with," she said, her voice softening just enough to signal the business talk was over.
I took the clothes, the pastel green yukata and the navy blue tenko dress with white, voluminous sleeves. There was no need for further explanation,and there was not much time left before customers arrived.
***
As I turned to get ready for the trip back, I saw Koto step closer to her side. The tension that usually held his shoulders high seemed to disappear.
"You're far too kind to strangers, you know," Koto murmured, but his critique lacked any sting; it held a deep, warm feeling.
She didn’t look away from me, but her hand reached out and found his. Her fingers moved naturally against the cold, sharp edges of his clawed gauntlet, searching for the pulse beneath the metal. She squeezed tightly, a silent anchor in the afternoon sun.
"Someone has to be," she replied softly. "Isn't that right?"
Koto leaned closer, his gaze finally leaving me to focus solely on her. "Yes, love," he whispered, his voice thick with a sudden, private tenderness. Their hands intertwined fully, the contrast of her soft skin against his armored grip marking a boundary I wasn't meant to cross.
***
After a while, maybe an hour or more I saw the silhouette of my cart. I was definitely late. I’ve probably spent two hours on fixing my trouble, but also arriving back took some time. Too much chaos. In the morning when I encountered the chubby satyress, and when I pushed my onigiri cart the sun was shining brightly, the furin bells were chiming and there was no one else around. But now? The streets were full off villagers, full of kitsune tails swishing among nekomata’s tails, some oni strolling around, some centaurs and other creatures. The sky was cloudy now and there was a light drizzle. Exhausted, yet feeling relieved after seeing the silhouette of my onigiri cart I was walking towards it, expecting to see lots and lots of customers, I stopped and my eyes couldn’t or maybe could betray me. My heart beat was so fast, I could hear it in my ears that thud, thud, thud my body felt so dumb and fragile, the chatters around were loud whispers but THAT, what I saw was eerie and strange -
a woman, strikingly beautiful with long, wavy hair to waist, white as snow, irises red like blood that were a striking, strong contrast to her hair. Her body? It’s curvy - a well defined waist with fuller hips, waist and bust, but there’s one thing that makes her slightly eerie. Her figure, most of it is wrapped in bandages like a mummy. The bandages are wrapped around her thighs, arms, neck, legs, knees more tightly and around shoulders, forehead and waist they are more loose. These bandages aren’t pure white, quite the opposite - they are jaundiced and ashen. Some of them are the color of schorched parchment. The linen looks like it would turn to dust if touched, yet it holds on well. The scent coming from that woman is a mix of smell of blood, pine and citruses. But the smell of bandages is pungent and decayed slightly. Smells of rotten meat, smoke, stale cinnamon and myrrh. The sweet and pungent and weird smells make me clamp my hand over my mouth, and I feel a wave of nausea. But that woman isn’t the worst thing. The worst THING is that, that gigantic skeleton behind her. It’s fifteen-times-human sized skeleton and it’s eyes have a faint glow. Her left hand drums against her other arm , and she leans against the onigiri cart. The sudden silence around is unpleasant, the way the air feels suddenly cold, instead of pleasant and warm, the way there’s no noise. She stops drumming her fingers, and looks at me. She doesn’t look either angry, sad, happy or satisfied and her face looks emotionless. That changes when she looks at me, and she smiles slightly. Her hand wanders to the bandages around her waist, and she pulls out something between them. Not a weapon, not anything like that but a strand of green, curly hair. Her smile is even wider, when she puts it on the food cart’s table, and then whispers, yet loudly enough for me to hear - „Good job, Gashadokuro. Would’ve been less entertaining to visit at night, wouldn’t it?” . My gaze wanders to the skull of that giant skeleton and then I see it - that liquid, lots of it smeared on his chin. It’s not drooling, but those are traces of blood, lots of red, dark blood. My eyes widen with terror when the puzzles finally assemble in my mind. That woman, with her Gashadokuro in my village, the one my hearts sworn to, the one I am bound to is about to destroy my homeland on my eyes.
